1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a method and a device for positioning and aligning a preferably biological sample in the detection area of the objective in a microscope arrangement.
The method according to the invention can be applied particularly in connection with single plane illumination microscopy (SPIM). This microscopy method is a special method of widefield microscopy by which image data for a three-dimensional image of the sample are obtained on the basis of optical sections through different planes of the sample.
2. Description of Related Art
SPIM technology is described, for example, in Stelzer et al., Optics Letter 31, 1477 (2006), Stelzer et al., Science 305, 1007 (2004), DE 102 57 423 A1, and WO 2004/0530558 A1.
The viewing direction on the sample is changed repeatedly so that image data are not obtained from just one viewing direction on the sample. Every time the viewing direction is readjusted, the sample must be positioned and aligned relative to the detection objective.
At present, the positioning and alignment of the sample to be examined is carried out manually using commercially available equipment and is therefore extremely time-consuming and is accordingly only suitable for laboratory analyses of individual samples.
However, particularly with regard to high volumes in industrial applications, there is an increasing demand for detection of a large number of samples successively in time with the highest possible throughput per time unit.